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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The shelter just wants animals out. It doesn’t matter to them which ones go. [/quote]

Mostly this. Every day a dog is in the shelter, its chances of being adopted out sane decrease dramatically. A shelter is NO place for an animal. I'm glad they exist, and I respect the volunteers who work so hard to help the animals they can, but they'll all tell you the same thing. Shelters are loud and smelly, with hard floors. They're stuffy in the summer/chilly in the winter, and full of scared, anxious animals who spend most of their days (sometimes ALL of their day) in a very small pen, without much stimulation or individual care.

Rescues with available foster homes will pull some of the easier-to-manage cases out of the shelter environment, leaving space for shelters to handle more complicated cases, including animals with medical issues. Some breed-specific rescues coordinate with shelters, know their "dropoff days", and yes, get "dibs" on whatever breed(s) they're working with. Why? Because those animal have a better chance going straight to a foster than spending even a handful of days in a shelter, waiting for a new owner who may/may not show. Those same owners (I'm @ing you, pekinese person) can search a little bit harder to find a breed-specific rescue if they really want a particular type of dog. Other owners may be fine with getting a "whatever" mutt from a shelter. There are options, and they're not hard to find.

The bigger problem is that people have confused animal shelters and rescues with bargain shopping stores. They only want an animal they can adopt right now, for cheap. It's a mentality that frequently leads to animals coming back to the shelters. Good, Cheap, Fast - Pick two.  :lol: You want a purebred cocker spaniel for cheap? You'll need to put your name in at shelter and wait (you'll get queue advantage if you sign up to foster, volunteer a bit, treat the people there like people...). You want a cheap dog and fast? Go to the shelter. I've never seen one empty; there's a dog there you can take home today. You want a specific kind/sort of dog right now? Be prepared to pay for it.

Pets are a privilege, not a right. If the upfront cost of acquiring one is too steep for you, you might need to consider whether or not your budget can truly afford the animal and its ongoing care. Anyone needing a pet RIGHT NOW will raise major flags for any responsible/ethical shelter, rescue, or breeder. [/quote]

I’m the OP - we went to PG county bc I saw on their website that the shelter is full and they need people to adopt. I still don’t agree with your argument. Yes, shelter environments are stressful and the longer an animal is there the worse off it is. Hence I would think rescues would take the animals who have been there for weeks to allow them to decompress and increase their chances of finding a home. If they are taking “highly adoptable dogs” how is that helping the shelter? The workers are saying they will be adopted quickly regardless. I also find your argument classist. Yes, pets are expensive. Both food and medical care, surgeries. But they should not be a luxury good, only for the wealthy, which is effectively what these rescues are doing by flipping high demand dogs. I can afford to purchase a dog from a breeder or pay the inflated rescue cost, but for those who can’t you’re effectively saying wealthy get a cocker spaniel and the poor can make do with (whatever). Especially in PG county, this effectively means many people have even less chance of a dog. [/quote]

I edited your post to remove the bad faith arguments that are banned in this forum for a reason, but it's telling that you tried that...

Yes, dear. Purebred cocker spaniels in particular are a luxury item, and they always have been. All purebred dogs that aren't working breeds are prestige items; that's how we got them! I don't know what sort of place you live in where everyone should just be able to grab a purebred dog for free, but I don't want to go there. Anyone can adopt a dog from the shelter, and many of them even have fee-free days and community medical clinics and food banks that help make dog ownership possible for more people than can probably responsibly own a dog. But they're not toys. They're living beings that come with big bills, and not everyone can afford that. It's not "classist", it's just common sense. I can't afford a pony. They're expensive and I don't have that kind of money. I don't expect the shelter to pass out free ponies, and the exact same logic applies to dogs (and cats, but they're a bit more affordable).

We get it, Veruca, you want a purebred toy breed and you want it NOW!!! Nobody is required to provide that for you, and dogs aren't free. Please educate yourself.[/quote]

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